‘Game of Thrones’ baby name trends: Khaleesi more popular than Betsy

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In 2012, 146 American babies were named Khaleesi, the title given to Game of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen after marrying a Dothraki leader. (HBO)

Blame it on Game of Thrones. Before the hit HBO fantasy drama took over the night-time lives of American adults, the name Khaleesi didn’t even exist. Now according to Social Security Administration (SSA) data analyzed by Vox.com, Khaleesi was a more popular name than Betsy in 2012.

What’s more, Daenerys popped up on the SSA’s list for the first time in 2012, and Arya is one of the fastest-growing baby names.

Pop culture — especially hit television series — has long influenced baby naming trends. Why were more than 100,000 baby boys named Rick or Ricky in the 1950s? The most popular TV birth of the decade was little Ricky of I Love Lucy. Why did Mallory suddenly become a hot name in the 1980s? Family Ties, of course.

But the Game of Thrones trend is unusual because the names the show is spawning are all new, imaginative, even downright bizarre monikers.

Khalleesi isn’t even really a name. It’s the honorific title that was given to Daenerys Targaryen (played by Emilia Clarke) after marrying a Dothraki leader in season 1. Targaryen is a favorite character, maybe because she likes to keep dragons.

In 2012, Khaleesi was given to 146 U.S. babies, surpassing more traditional names including Brandy, Nadine and Betsy. Daenerys wasn’t nearly as popular with only 21 babies receiving the name, but this number is still remarkable because before 2012 the name didn’t even register on the SSA list.

Arya is the most popular name to come out of the show and has appeared in the top 1,000 over the past three years. The name reigned over the 744th spot in 2012 and jumped all the way up to 413th in 2012.